Maintains an emergency telephone and email contact list so that employees and other appropriate people are notified quickly after disaster strikes

Ensures that library staff are registered to receive HSC Alerts

Coordinates with the Senior Director of Libraries to work with the Department of Environmental Health and Safety and UT Police to ensure Library is in consistent compliance with broader disaster management policies

Establishes and maintains relationships with recovery companies.

During and After a Disaster

Consults with Senior Director of Libraries regarding building closure; follows guidelines in the Business Continuity Plan

Notifies division heads and disaster team members of imminent danger or building closure (begins the telephone tree process)

Ensures a recording is made on the main line, 567-2400, stating the Library is closed and providing other pertinent information

Establishes a command center and delegates staff assignments as needed

Contacts Office of the President, External Affairs with library-related announcements, including library closure and reopening. Does not contact media directly.

Ensures that library closure and reopening announcements are posted on website and in other media by Web Team

Works with Administration, Circulation, On-Call Librarian Services and Interlibrary Loan to ensure that voicemail recordings are changed to reflect current hours of service and contact information.

Oversees overall management of recovery and salvage operations

Supervises delivery and installation of equipment needed in recovery efforts

Emergency Building Evacuation Procedures

When a fire alarm sounds inside the library building, or in the event of a campus emergency situation the following steps must be taken to evacuate the library by Evacuation Team (ET) members and all staff members:

Grab your cell phones to communicate with staff on the other floors and with the Evacuation Team.

ET members evacuate staff and patrons on your floor through the nearest exit.

Check the stacks, seating area and restrooms for lagging library users; make sure they exit through the nearest available door. If a user refuses to leave the building, note the user’s location and continue to evacuate the building. Give information on where they were last seen to the emergency crews when they arrive.

Physically challenged persons: ET member find some to accompany/assist the person out of the building. An emergency chair is located on the 5th floor, northeast exit. If it’s not feasible to fetch/use the chair, the escort must get them inside an emergency stairwell, ask others to inform emergency crews of their whereabouts and remain with them until further assistance arrives.

In the process of evacuating the building, staff should inspect their floors for smoke, fire, injuries or other emergencies and relay this information to the ET Coordinator. Only attempt to put out a fire if it is small and you have been trained to use the fire extinguisher.

Upon evacuation, library staff are to meet at the designated meeting place, which is the motorcycle area of Lot 2, close to Dental Drive. Each supervisor or designee should attempt to account for his/her staff. See Appendix 6 for details on Departmental Emergency Evacuation Procedures.

Library staff at the designated meeting place will be notified via radio when the Safety Officer gives the all clear to return to the library building. Only UT Police, the Fire Chief, or Environmental Health & Safety officers can give the all clear to return to the building.

The Evacuation Team Coordinator and the Disaster Team Leader will remain near the library entrance (if safe) to keep people from entering the building, unless they are emergency personnel, and to act as liaison between emergency services and library administration

Upon return, please check your work areas for any damage to personal property, workspace and the building, and report them to the building fire marshal or library administration office.

Evening/Weekend staff will evacuate the floors–they may have to ask for assistance from library users.

Faculty from Other Institutions

Faculty at many San Antonio colleges and universities and all state university system faculty are eligible for a wide variety of privileges, including:

Books and audio/visual materials

Journals—print or electronic, in-house use at any of the UT Health Science Center Libraries

Library computers (time limit)

Online search service (fee)

Photocopy and printing (fee)

Typewriter

Due to licensing agreements and contracts, off-site access to electronic journals, books and databases is available only to currently employed or retired faculty and staff, and currently enrolled students.

Loan periods for circulating material

Library Registration

Faculty from other institutions may register in person at the Briscoe Library Circulation Desk or at the Laredo Regional Campus Library.

Create an account for book checkout.

A Faculty ID card, proof of current employment (if not indicated on the card) and state-issued ID (current driver’s license or passport) are required to register.

Borrowing privileges are valid for one year from date of issue and may be extended annually.

Registration cannot be renewed until all fines and other obligations have been cleared.

Library Collection Use

Users may have up to 3 items checked out at any given time. Select library materials may be renewed in person or by calling the Circulation Desk at (210) 567-2440 or on the online catalog. Renewal will be denied if materials have reached their renewal limit, have been recalled, or are overdue.

Food and Drink Policy

Drinks are allowed and they need to be in covered containers.

Bugs like food, but so do people, so we’ve decided to allow eating in the library. However, this is a limited privilege: no hot food, no messy food, and, to be polite, no smelly food. Library staff have the authority to determine if your food meets these criteria.

Please use napkins liberally, and clean your hands before using library computers.

For your own comfort, and as a courtesy to your colleagues, we also ask that you clean up after yourself. Trash cans are located all over the library for your convenience. If you make a mess that you’re unable to clean up on your own, tell library staff, who will help you clean it up. You won’t get in trouble for reporting a spill.

Health Professionals

Doctors, dentists, nurses, or other licensed health care practitioners living or practicing in Texas may register with the Library as an area health professional and have access to a wide variety of services including:

Books and audio/visual materials

Journals—print or electronic, in-house use at any of the UT Health Science Center Libraries

Library computers (time limit)

Online search service (fee)

Interlibrary Loan & Document Delivery*(fee)

Photocopy and printing (fee)

Typewriter

Proxy Borrowers

Due to licensing agreements and contracts, off-site access to electronic journals, books and databases is available only to currently employed or retired faculty and staff, and currently enrolled students.

*Interlibrary Loan & Document Delivery are available for individuals requesting information for personal or academic research and may not be used by health professionals on behalf of law firms, corporations, or organizations.

Loan periods for circulating material

Material Type

Loan Period

# of Renewals Allowed

Books

14 days

2

Reserve materials

varies

none

Library Registration

Create an account for book checkout and Interlibrary Loan services.

Area health professionals may register in person at the Briscoe Library Circulation Desk or at the Laredo Regional Campus Library.

A state-issued ID (current driver’s license or passport) and a copy of your Texas license to practice are required to register.

Borrowing privileges are valid for one year from date of issue unless the license expires prior to that, and may be extended annually.

Registration cannot be renewed until all fines and other obligations have been cleared.

Library Collection Use

Users may have up to 3 items checked out at any given time. Select library materials may be renewed in person or by calling the Circulation Desk at (210) 567-2440 or on the online catalog. Renewal will be denied if materials have reached their renewal limit, have been recalled, or are overdue.